shutter speed limitations-Air 3 hyperlapse course lock

[KenG]

I'm trying to increase the length of the light streaks (headlight, taillight) for night hyperlapse and the slowest the Air 3 allows me to select is 2 seconds. I've shot several night hyperlase vids and believe they would pop better with the light blur streaks a bit longer which, I believe, can only be done by slowing the shutter more. Correct me if I am wrong about this. Using Course lock and shooting in pro mode, the slowest shutter speed it allows me to select is 2 seconds. Thoughts?

 

[mobilehomer]

I'm trying to increase the length of the light streaks (headlight, taillight) for night hyperlapse and the slowest the Air 3 allows me to select is 2 seconds. I've shot several night hyperlase vids and believe they would pop better with the light blur streaks a bit longer which, I believe, can only be done by slowing the shutter more. Correct me if I am wrong about this. Using Course lock and shooting in pro mode, the slowest shutter speed it allows me to select is 2 seconds. Thoughts?

Try using a longer interval.

 

[KenG]

Try using a longer interval.

Thanks. Sounded like a good idea and made sense. Just went out and kept moving interval from 4 seconds all the way to 8 seconds and it still limited the shutter speed to 2 seconds max. Nothing longer. I'm gonna keep trying some other setting changes but sure would like to get this figured out.

 

[mobilehomer]

Try going the other way. 2 second interval. Might be better.

 

[brett8883]

Try going the other way. 2 second interval. Might be better.

If the interval is 2 seconds the shutter speed can’t be longer than 2 seconds.

 

[mobilehomer]

If the interval is 2 seconds the shutter speed can’t be longer than 2 seconds.

No, but the spaces between shots will have the lights closer together.

 

[brett8883]

No, but the spaces between shots will have the lights closer together.

I see what you are saying.

 

[brett8883]

I'm trying to increase the length of the light streaks (headlight, taillight) for night hyperlapse and the slowest the Air 3 allows me to select is 2 seconds. I've shot several night hyperlase vids and believe they would pop better with the light blur streaks a bit longer which, I believe, can only be done by slowing the shutter more. Correct me if I am wrong about this. Using Course lock and shooting in pro mode, the slowest shutter speed it allows me to select is 2 seconds. Thoughts?

I don’t know how to increase the shutter speed past the two seconds but getting good light streaks is a balancing act. On one hand you want a long enough shutter speed for the lights to streak but you also want the sensor sensitive enough to pick them up. If the shutter is TOO long then the lights won’t register as well. You also want your exposure low enough so that things that aren’t lights are dark to make the streaks pop more.

 

[KenG]

I don’t know how to increase the shutter speed past the two seconds but getting good light streaks is a balancing act. On one hand you want a long enough shutter speed for the lights to streak but you also want the sensor sensitive enough to pick them up. If the shutter is TOO long then the lights won’t register as well. You also want your exposure low enough so that things that aren’t lights are dark to make the streaks pop more.

I agree with you on all you have said. I've gotten good results in still photos by using 2.5 and 3.2 seconds shutter speed and 16 and 32 ND filters. I figured I could use the same settings in the hyperlapse but it restricts me to 2 seconds max. I've tried increasing the interval all the way to 8 seconds and still can't get the option to set longer than 2 seconds. I stopped trying to go higher on the interval and didn't check to see beyond that if it will ever allow a longer shutter speed.

I don't have the experience many of you have so that's why I'm seeking guidance here. It just seems logical if the camera would allow a manual still shot of 2.5 and 3.2 seconds that it would also be available in hyperlapse. I also thought maybe it had to do with course lock but the same thing happens in all of the hyperlapse modes; circle, waypoint and free. I also started moving the ISO around and can't seem to find the right combination, if there is one, to increase length of shutter speed longer than 2 seconds.

 

[brett8883]

I agree with you on all you have said. I've gotten good results in still photos by using 2.5 and 3.2 seconds shutter speed and 16 and 32 ND filters. I figured I could use the same settings in the hyperlapse but it restricts me to 2 seconds max. I've tried increasing the interval all the way to 8 seconds and still can't get the option to set longer than 2 seconds. I stopped trying to go higher on the interval and didn't check to see beyond that if it will ever allow a longer shutter speed.

I don't have the experience many of you have so that's why I'm seeking guidance here. It just seems logical if the camera would allow a manual still shot of 2.5 and 3.2 seconds that it would also be available in hyperlapse. I also thought maybe it had to do with course lock but the same thing happens in all of the hyperlapse modes; circle, waypoint and free. I also started moving the ISO around and can't seem to find the right combination, if there is one, to increase length of shutter speed longer than 2 seconds.

I just looked at the specs for the Air 3 and the longest shutter speed for the camera is 2 seconds. It can do simulated long exposures for longer durations in photo mode but the longest natural shutter is 2s.

So that’s why.

You could always manually make a hyperlapse by taking photos at a set interval and then processing them into a video. There is software you can use process a series of still photos into a hyperlapse.

 

[KenG]

I just looked at the specs for the Air 3 and the longest shutter speed for the camera is 2 seconds. It can do simulated long exposures for longer durations in photo mode but the longest natural shutter is 2s.
View attachment 172470
So that’s why.

You could always manually make a hyperlapse by taking photos at a set interval and then processing them into a video. There is software you can use process a series of still photos into a hyperlapse.

Great Brett. Thank you. I should have looked at the specs. So there it is. Wow. Thanks again. So that brings up another question. The stills I have been taking at 2.5 and 3.2 seconds have been simulated long exposure? And what is the translation for that I wonder?

 

[brett8883]

Great Brett. Thank you. I should have looked at the specs. So there it is. Wow. Thanks again. So that brings up another question. The stills I have been taking at 2.5 and 3.2 seconds have been simulated long exposure? And what is the translation for that I wonder?

Simulated long exposure works by taking many photos at a faster shutter speed one right after another and then blending them together to simulate a photo with a longer shutter.

There are a few reasons why you might do this.

1. Because long exposures have a lot of noise build up. Taking more photos and averaging them together creates less noisy images.

2. Any movement of the camera during a long exposure will cause motion blur. Blending only the parts of the frame that have movement during the exposure will reduce motion blur from the camera moving.

3. For long exposures heat can build up by having the sensor active for so long (which is likely the limiting factor on the Air 3) so blending shorter duration frames together is a work around for this issue.

4. This avoids the need for ND filters to longer exposures